Ali Black’s newest collection, The Costs, explores the female body, grief, and loss. Vulnerable and attentive, Black covers funerals, infertility, death, and beauty. A speaker explains a part of her grief process: “When someone I love dies/I lose my appetite then braid my hair.” These poems are filled with love, wonder, and rich observation. Black has written a searing and devastating collection that makes us feel the pressures, possibilities, and distinct joys of the black experience.
Ali Black is a writer from Cleveland, Ohio. She is the author of If It Heals At All (Jacar Press, 2020). The book was named a finalist for the 2021 Ohioana Book Award in poetry. Her writing has appeared in The Atticus Review, jubilat, Literary Hub, The Offing, The Adroit Journal and elsewhere. She recently launched a creative writing program for teens called The Most Promising.
Fruit Punch by Kendra Allen and Bluest Nude by Ama Codjoe
Once, I opened for a famous poet (I won’t say her name), and she forgot to acknowledge me or my reading during her opening remarks.
Take advantage of all the special programs/projects (readings, workshops, and festivals) offered while you’re studying in the program. These events might be offered around town and/or through the NEOMFA program.
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English Department
Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Ave., RT 1815
Cleveland, Ohio 44115